Signs of infestation

• Bite marks on body parts while sleeping • Bedbug exoskeletons may be visible after molting • Living bedbugs may be visible in sheets and mattress folds • Rusty colored spots on a mattress or nearby furniture • A sweet, musty odor Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Parasitic, wingless, minuscule insects are the focus of a recent report from Terminix — and the report says Nashville is a major site of infestation.

The city was named among the top 15 with the largest increase of bedbug calls to Terminix, a pest extermination company. The report, which only collected the call volume from branches nationwide, said Nashville had a 17 percent increase in calls for the first five months of 2013 compared to the same period a year ago.

However, the Metro Health Department hasn’t received an increase in calls this year, said its spokesman, Brian Todd. In fact, he thinks there has been a decrease in calls to the department office.

“As far as Nashville goes, this isn’t something new,” Todd said. “A majority of the calls we receive are from apartment complexes.”

Bedbug infestations are prevalent in apartments, especially near areas where people typically sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Todd advises apartment owners to contact the health department and their apartment manager if they become infested. Most of the time, Todd said, managers are required to have a contract with an extinguishing service — even though they might not pay for it themselves.

“If management pays an exterminator, they can turn right around and bill the renter,” Todd said.

Although bedbugs are considered a nuisance, the CDC says they are not a health threat since they aren’t known to carry diseases.